The Sounders fans booed and hissed him. Alonso gave him an earful. But Mark Geiger’s whistle was final.

Neither the ire of 43,000, nor Alonso’s red card could bring back Seattle’s dreams of MLS Cup glory. His whistle was final.

Geiger’s calls were a bitter pill to swallow on Sunday night. The replays show Eddie Johnson was not offside when he scored his 11th minute goal that was called back.

At least half of the soccer pundits I’ve heard say that Adam Johansson did not intentionally handle the ball that led to Robbie Keane’s penalty. The call broke the Sounders back. I just want a lesson in how to call a handball.

Despite this, Mark Geiger didn’t make the Sounders lose. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Why did they lose? Every Sounders fan is asking that question…and the truth is, it’s complicated. I thought I should way in on what I believe are the main factors.

As you read, you may notice that this article is disproportionately focused on leg 1 of the tie.

There’s a reason.

This series was all but lost before the return leg in Seattle. It’s hard to come back from 3-0…even at home.

This series was all but lost before the return leg in Seattle.

Sigi ditched the arrow…for 90 minutes

It’s a rare moment that we can look at our esteemed coach and ask him what he was doing. He usually makes the right calls, but last week in Los Angeles he didn’t.

The Sounders have been playing in Sigi’s arrow for the last four years (4 defenders, 2 deep lying box-to-box mids, attacking wingers, a withdrawn forward and a target man). They’re built around it.

But, for some unknown reason, Sigi abandoned it in leg 1.

Contrarians have argued that the team was playing on short rest. They’re right, but the argument doesn’t hold any water.

Sigi had the personnel to play a forward alongside Fredy Montero. Both Sammy Ochoa or David Estrada were well rested.

He didn’t.

We all know what happened next.

The idea that the diminutive relatively slow Montero could act as Seattle’s pressure outlet while facing Omar Gonzalez and Tommy Meyer is laughable. This isn’t a knock on Montero’s skill or effort. He just isn’t a target forward.

The forward situation, and the midfield’s inability to maintain possession, meant that whenever they cleared the ball they were facing another wave of Galaxy attackers within minutes.

Los Angeles has too much attacking quality to not score in that situation.

Some may argue that hindsight is 20-20. My response would be: “Why would you ever try an experimental formation in the Conference Finals?”

The squad didn’t show urgency until their backs were against the wall

My wife and I seem to always have a conversation with the people in our section at CenturyLink. We talk about how the first 15 minutes of a match are nerve-wracking because the team doesn’t seem to wake up until about minute 13.

This playoff series was worse.

Not much needs to be said about this point. Plain and simple, the team didn’t wake up until after the first 90 minutes were over.

By then it was too late.

Is this a character problem? Is it a preparation problem? I don’t know. You can’t recover if you play the first 90 minutes of an 180 minute match half-asleep.

Mauro Rosales left his team hanging

When the team needed him most, Mauro Rosaleswasn’t there…for the second year in a row.

When the team needed him most, Mauro Rosales wasn’t there

The 2011 and 2012 editions of Sounders FC have been built around our Argentine captain. The team depends on his attacking flair and creativity. Eddie Johnson thrives on his pinpoint crosses.

Look at the stats.

When Rosales is on the field Seattle’s much more likely to win.

This series proved the point again, and should make Seattle seriously think about whether Mauro is worth keeping around 1 more year. Look at the facts, he’s only played 99 of a possible 540 playoff minutes in his 2 years with the team.

Not coincidentally, the rest of the team was outscored 6-0 in 180 of those minutes.

Let’s put Rosales’ fragile body aside for a moment.

On Sunday in Seattle, Rosales had to be convinced to come in and play by Sigi Schmid. Where’s the passion? You shouldn’t have to convince your captain to go into the most important match in team history, especially if he was able to train for more than 60 minutes before the opening kick.

Playing 1 out of every 5 playoff minutes isn’t good enough for a marquee Designated Player. Especially when your team is facing Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, and David Beckham.

Where do we go from here?

The pain has begun to pass. It’s now a dull just a dull aching. This playoff series loss was just another reminder that the Sounders aren’t quite the best.

Adrian Hanauer and Sigi Schmid must demand more from their squad this offseason. They must make changes. They must build the best Sounders team yet.

Here’s to hoping that the season that starts in just 4 short months won’t end with us watching another team celebrate on your field.

Sounders fans, take heart that your team performed better than in last year’s playoff opener. But they now face the daunting task of winning at Rio Tinto on Thursday night.

When I walked into CenturyLink on Friday night, I told my seat mates that the Sounders needed to win by 2 for me to be comfortable in the away leg.

They didn’t, so I’m obviously nervous.

Walking out of the stadium on Friday, I felt an overwhelming sense of doom. The Sounders had put together one of their most complete performances of the year and they weren’t able to break through. The 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake in last year’s Conference Semi-finals stuck in my mind.

How could the rave green win at Rio Tinto?

After 5 days, my emotions are more measured. There are definite positives to be taken from the match last week. In addition the Sounders have played RSL close all year long, so I think we can expect another quality match. Nevertheless, there are a few nagging questions in mind.

The answers to these questions will go a long way towards determining whether Seattle can advance in a playoff series for the first time in their short MLS history.

3 nagging questions heading into Leg 2

How fit is Eddie Johnson?

Leg 1 of the series showed how much Seattle misses Eddie’s unique speed and poise in front of goal. Sammy Ochoa had a very strong match but wasn’t able to get behind the RSL defense because he lacks pace. He also missed a wide open shot early in the second half that Johnson would have finished 9 out of 10 times. Clearly, it’s important that Seattle’s leading scorer play tomorrow.

Eddie Johnson has been pretty bullish this week about playing. He’s been practicing and we expect him to be on the field Thursday. His level of fitness will be important though. The first question that has to be answered is whether he will be able to play the full 90.

The second is, how fast will he be?

Hamstring injuries are difficult to recover from quickly. Eddie uses his knowledge and pace to slide behind defenses. The extent to which his injury has healed will determine his effectiveness.

Can the team win without Mauro?

Once again, the Sounders face the possibility of playing an important match without the help of their key playmaker, Captain Mauro Rosales. It’s fair to say that even if he does play, it won’t be for the full 90.

So how will they cope without him?

Seattle is more equipped than ever to win without the Argentine. The arrival of Christian Tiffert at midseason has shored up the midfield more than ever before. Steve Zakuani and Mario Martinezare both strong options for Seattle in his absence.

Seattle has been a prolific offensive club over the last few years.

Make no mistake, winning is still possible without Mauro, but the possibilities of going to overtime and a shootout increase remarkably.

Will there be any goals?

Seattle has been a prolific offensive club over the last few years. They have weapons all over the field. But, for some reason RSL has their number. Seattle hasn’t scored in more than 389 minutes against the Claret and Cobalt (that’s more than 4 whole matches!).

To make matters worse, neither of their top goalscorers have good playoff records. Montero has never scored in the postseason.

This has to change.

The Sounders stand on the precipice of greatness. If they can start scoring, I think they’ll win the MLS Cup. But the goals must start flowing…and Nick Rimando will have sto stop playing out of his mind.

The bottom line

Seattle’s first half performance in this playoff series wasn’t the best that it could have been, but they rave green are in a decent position heading into Thursday.

If the Sounders can answer my three nagging questions, I think they will come home from Rio Tinto with a win.

Call me crazy, but if they can make it through this round, I would choose the Sounders over anyone else in the playoff field to lift the MLS Cup.

It’s the last match of the season, and there’s still something in it for the Sounders. A win at LA this Sunday night gives Sigi and his boys the 2nd seed that they have long pursued. It will also silence some of the naysayers about this Seattle team.

You may ask: “Why is the 2nd seed important, if the Sounders already know they’ll be playing a home and away tie in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs?” Great question. The 2nd seed matters because it will give Seattle a better chance at home field advantage in the MLS Cup finals. It also puts them in a decent position to get a CONCACAF Champions League birth.

Expect the Sounders to take this one seriously.

In the first 3 seasons of Seattle’s MLS existence, LA was the perpetual thorn in their side. Matches seemed to always result in a loss. The worst of these was the infamous 4-0 loss to the Galaxy at home in 2010 that resulted in refunds for season ticket holders.

The balance of power has begun to shift. Seattle won both fixtures so far this year (both played in the comfortable confines of CenturyLink Field). The Galaxy put together a consistent second half to get into the playoffs, but they have begun to show their age. The Sounders meanwhile have a young and vibrant core led by a few wiley veterans.

In the first 3 seasons of Seattle’s MLS existence, LA has been the thorn in their side.

Let’s take a look at the status of both teams heading into the match.

Los Angeles Galaxy

Shocking news graced the cover of soccer sites this week. Landon Donovan announced that he’s considering retirement at the ripe old age of 30.

His apparent lack of motivation to continue playing would make me nervous if I was a Galaxy fan.

Both Donovan and David Beckham are coming off injuries. Reports say they’ll be ready to go, but you can expect Bruce Arena to be careful with both of them. The match won’t affect LA’s playoff seeding so they have little motivation to push their two stars too hard. LA needs both of them more in the playoffs.

Seattle Sounders FC

The Sounders played a complete game last weekend against Dallas. The match was full of promising signs for any Seattle fan looking towards the playoffs:

Fredy Montero as architect: Montero’s deft play led to Brad Evan’s PK goal, his quick thinking helped set up the second, and he set up the third. The Colombian’s activity off of the ball was equally impressive.

Passing on display: Possession, possession, possession. The Sounders had numerous long periods of possession highlighted by accurate passing that vexed Dallas players.

Dynamic midfield play: The midfield of Brad Evans, Christian Tiffert, Osvaldo Alonso, and Mauro Rosales is gelling at the right time. Sounders fans are salivating over what they could do in the playoffs.

Seattle needs to do nothing more than continue this typeof dynamic play on Sunday to secure the 2nd place in the west.

Matchup to watch: Christian Tiffert vs. David Beckham

Tiffert and Beckham both feature dynamic and accurate passing as important parts of the game. Their play will determine who controls the midfield. David Beckham is just coming off of injury while Christian Tiffert is healthy and hungry. I’m looking forward to watching the Englishman and the German duel.

Prediction

The Sounders only have 4 wins away from home this year, but they are on a roll lately. I expect this match to be hard fought, but end in a Seattle victory that gives them momentum heading into the playoff.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 — Los Angeles Galaxy

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After earning a draw while playing a man down on Wednesday, the Sounders hold their playoff destiny in their hands. If they win the final 2 matches in the 2012 campaign, they’ll finish with only the San Jose Earthquakes ahead of them in the Western Conference.

Sunday’s matchup with mid-table FC Dallas will be the easier of the two matches remaining. Next week the team travels to Los Angeles to close out the season against the Galaxy.

Seattle and Dallas have faced off 2 times so far this year, both times away from the comfortable confines of CenturyLink Field. The Sounders bagged 4 out of 6 points available from those matches, nothing to frown about when playing on the road.

This match will be different. FC Dallas will know if they still have a glimmer of hope to reach the playoffs by the time the match kicks off (If Vancouver beats Portland earlier in the day the Texan’s playoff hopes are dead). This means Seattle could face 2 drastically different teams, one fanatically motivated to make a last ditch effort to get to the playoffs. the other with no goals left to attain in 2012. All of this underscores Seattle’s need to focus on it’s own play, not the other team.

FC Dallas

Too little too late. Unless the Vancouver Whitecaps inexplicably fall to the dismal Portland Timbers on Sunday, these 4 words will sum up FC Dallas’ season. No one thought they were as bad as they played in the 1st half of 2012. Turns out they weren’t. They’ve improved in the final months of the season, but it hasn’t been enough.

Injuries and suspensions will be a big problem for Dallas on Sunday. 3 of the top 4 players for the hoops (so named for the red and white horizontal stripes on their jerseys) will be missing. Defensive stalwart George John and dynamic midfielder Brek Shea will both be missing due to injury. Julian de Guzman will be out for a yellow card accumulation. That leaves just David Ferreira to lead the squad.

Veteran Daniel Hernandez will step in to fill the hole left in defensive midfield by the suspended De Guzman. His sharpness will be tested by the efficient and deadly accurate passing of Christian Tiffert.

Seattle and Dallas have faced off 2 times so far this year

Seattle Sounders FC

Defensive questions loom leading up to this match. Sure, Brad Evans played the roll of center back to perfection against Real Salt Lake, but there’s no way to assume, after a 60 minute sample size, he can hold down the fort next to Jeff Parke for the foreseeable future. He might have to though. Patrick Ianni is out and John Kennedy Hurtado’s ability to play with a mask is in question.

The outside back positions will be stronger than they were midweek due to the return of Adam Johansson from international duty. Despite this, Johansson is more of an offensive weapon than a defender. He’ll need to put in a strong shift defensively during this match to help extend the team’s shutout streak.

If the defense holds, the offense should be ready to resume it’s scoring ways. Once again, it’s the Fredy and Eddie show up front. Grab some popcorn and take a seat.

Matchup to watch: Eddie Johnson vs. Dallas Center Backs

Eddie Johnson has been a master in the air this year. Dallas defends well in the air. The key question will be whether Johnson can work some trickery and get on the end of a Mauro Rosales cross.

Prediction

You could tell on Wednesday that this Sounders FC club is motivated to finish as high up in the table as possible. They’ll carry that motivation into the Dallas match.

If Vancouver beats Portland, and Dallas is knocked out of the playoffs before the match starts, this could turn into a romp.

Seattle Sounders FC 3 – FC Dallas 0

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The Galaxy have been the Sounders Achilles heel in the first 4 years of their MLS existence. Some of Sounders’ fans worst memories are against the team from LA, including the infamous 4-0 thrashing at home and a playoff defeat in 2010.

It appeared that the balance of power was changing during the team’s 1st meeting this year. Fredy Montero led by example during that match with a wonder goal from 40 yards out.

The Sounders came out on top 2-0.

Los Angeles Galaxy

The Galaxy started out the first few months of the 2012 campaign with one of the worst records in the league. Pundits claimed that the age of the Galaxy squad had finally caught up to their performance. It looked like a legitimate changing of the guard in the MLS elite was in order.

Fast forward to August. Sure, the Galaxy aren’t the number one team in the MLS, but they have had a strong resurgence. They now sit in playoff position and are hoping to move up the table even further.

Here are a few reasons for the LA run:

Edson Buddles’s injury: Buddle returned to LA with fanfare last year, but it appears his playing style was not a good fit with Robbie Keane. The forward tandem of Keane and Landon Donovan has been far more productive.

Shoring up the defense: The team didn’t realize how much they relied on Omar Gonzalez until he was gone. He’s helped to slow the flow of goals since his return from knee injury.

The old guys are playing with inspiration: Despite everyone’s misgivings about the age of the roster, the older core of the roster has continued to perform. They’ve been led by 37 year-old David Beckham, who has 9 assists and 6 goals to his name so far.

Seattle Sounders FC

This is an important transition match for the Sounders. The side has recovered from their devastating winless run of 9 games. They haven’t lost in more than a month. During that time have posted 2 league wins as well as victories in the U.S. Open Cup and Concacaf Champions League.

That said, this is a transition match for the team. At the close of the transfer window, they traded away Alvaro Fernandez. He had been one of their key performers as of late. You can argue that his replacements improve the team, but Mario Martinez is still at the Olympics with Honduras, and Christian Tiffert will probably only be good for 30 minutes tonight.

This means that the Sounders will be left with a big hole on the left side of the pitch when they face their rivals from the south.

Eddie Johnson has been turning in an amazing season.

Here’s what they need to do to find a win:

Feed Eddie Johnson: The Sounders’ other forward not named Montero, Eddie Johnson has been turning in an amazing season. The ball needs to find his feet (or his head) if the Sounders want to win this match.

Resurgent Mauro: In the last 5-6 matches Mauro Rosales has played like he did in 2011. He’ll need to continue to marshall the midfield tonight.

Minimize mistakes on the left wing: Whoever plays on the left wing, needs to work hard to not give too much up. Seattle doesn’t need a sterling performance from the left side, just a serviceable one.

The forward tandem of the LA Galaxy will have their chance. They’re too good to stay silent for a whole match. Thanks goodness the Seattle number 1 goalkeeper is back between the posts. Michael Gspurning will need to come up big when Keane and Donovan break through the defense.

Prediction

This will be a even match. Both teams have a lot to play for. They’re realistically competing for 3rd place in the west. I think that Sounders FC has a slight edge because they’re playing at home.

The Brougham Faithful should be celebrating long into the summer night.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Los Angeles Galaxy 1

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When we woke up this morning it seemed like Sounders were going to have a quiet transfer window. The only significant potential moves had fallen apart last week when Deportivo Cali decided not to take Alvaro Fernandez on loan. Subsequently, the Joan Verdu dream cam to an end.

We’ll never know exactly why last week’s machinations fell through.

But today it doesn’t matter because of the bold moves made by the club.

What to Expect?

Tiffert comes from the recently relegated Kaiserslautern FC in Germany. Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to catch a Bundesliga match on tv here in the U.S. So we don’t know too much about him.

Here are my thoughts on what he brings to the side after reading up on him in the last few weeks.

An upgrade over Brad Evans

Brad Evans has done a serviceable job in central midfield. He breaks up play decently well and makes some runs forward. There are some things that Evans doesn’t do as well…including playmaking.

Tiffert brings everything that Evans does, plus more.

He majored in setting other players up during his more than 280 matches in the Bundesliga. He had 17 assists 2 years ago. This is a dimension that the Sounders have never had out of central midfield since they entered MLS.

It was thought when Alvaro Fernandez arrived 2 years go that he potentially could be that player, but that didn’t pan out.

Tiffert comes from the recently relegated Kaiserslautern FC in Germany.

Tiffert is a different story. He should be able to work with Mauro Rosales to release Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson with regularity, once he settles into the side.

Tiffert also stands out on free kicks.

The Sounders could definitely use help in this area. Fredy Montero scored a couple of goals in 2011 of brilliant kicks, but beyond that the team has struggled on set pieces.

Tiffert should help shore up that department, giving them two good options in he and Rosales.

Mario Martinez solves the Alvaro Fernandez problem

Questions about who would play on the left side of midfield arose immediately when Alvaro Fernandez was traded this morning. Our answer came with the all but certain signing of Mario Martinez on loan.

Martinez is an exciting young winger who is currently playing for the Honduran U-23s at the London Olympics.

He comes in maybe not as a starter, but as an intriguing option on the left side of midfield.

The Martinez move seems to be a short term fix. My bet is that he will serve as a bridge until Steve Zakuani can fully recover.

These moves aren’t without risk, but they could potentially push Seattle to the next level.

Neither the Sounders nor the Red Bulls have been playing particularly well in the last 5 matches.

Despite the fact that Seattle just escaped a record winless streak, they actually have been better than New York.

The match represents a stern test for the Sounders. There are 3 factors that make this match difficult.

The New York Red Bulls have yet to lose at home this year with 5 wins and 2 draws. You can’t ignore this type of success despite the New York side’s recent form.

Seattle is in the midst of a punishing stretch of matches. The majority of the games have been on the road.

I think that it’s only a matter of time until the thousands of miles they travel catch up to them.

The dynamic duo of Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper can score goals. More on that later though.

New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls are struggling. Their most recent match was a 2-0 loss to the same New England Revolution team that drew the Sounders a couple weeks back.

The team will be looking to recover their form in Red Bull Arena where they have been quite comfortable so far this year.

Red Bulls fans can breathe a sigh of relief as their young goalkeeper Ryan Meara appears to be ready to go against Seattle, despite taking a knee to the head in last week’s match.

Seattle Sounders FC

The last week has been a roller coaster of emotions for the Sounders. It started last Saturday when Steve Zakuani returned to the pitch during the Sounders 2-1 victory over Colorado.

You could almost taste the euphoria in CenturyLink Field.

The team continued to play exciting attacking football when they completely smashed Chivas USA in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinal. The best storyline of that game was that Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson looked like they could both excel on the pitch at the same time.

Johnson continued his torrid run of form with a goal and Montero found himself back on the scoresheet after a very active game with a beautiful assist to Brad Evans.

On Thursday night 9-year Sounder Roger Levesqueannounced his retirement effective next week. This is a sad note, but it should’t affect the team too much. I assume they’ve known of this development for a while.

Last Saturday when Steve Zakuani returned to the pitch Sounders fans everywhere felt a renewed sense of hope.

During the last week the Sounders returned to positive, possession-based, attacking soccer. They’ll need to continue this approach at New York.

Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper have been devastating up front this year. Their 20 goals represents one of the most productive and potent forward tandems in the league.

The 2 New York front men are especially concerning because of the defensive lapses that the Sounders have been prone to in the last 10-12 games.

The starting centerbacks will have their hands full from the first whistle.

The Sounders’ chances would be greatly aided if Michael Gspurning can start in the goal for the first time in 15 matches.

Predictions

The Sounders seem to have weathered their annual poor stretch of play. They go into the Big Apple playing entertaining soccer again.

I expect the team to play a strong match and hold their own against the Red Bulls. It may be too much to ask for a win though given the miles that the side has traveled recently, and New York’s undefeated home record.

I think we’ll see an entertaining draw on Sunday afternoon.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 – New York Red Bulls 2

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The first 3 matches the stretch have been dismal with Seattle losing 2 while drawing once. Although both losses were on the road, they were against teams clearly less talented than the Seattle side. The team cannot seem to find a win.

This week’s match appears very similar on paper. The Revolution are ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference. They should be an easy team for Seattle to beat. But their play has improved as of late, and they have a 0 goal differential.

When you combine the improved play of the Revolution with the miles the Sounders have traveled in the last few weeks, this game could be their toughest road match of the stretch.

New England Revolution

Benny Feilhaber and Shalrie Joseph lead the New England Revolution from midfield. The question is whether Joseph is able to perform after coming off a groin injury.

New England is enjoying a relatively solid 3-match unbeaten streak in which they’ve tied 2 and won 1. They have also been pretty dominant at home so far.

Outside the talented midfielders (Feilhaber, Joseph, and Lee Nguyen), forward Saer Sene is the player to watch. He’s shown a nose for goal so far this year and will look to add to his 7 tallies on Saturday.

Seattle Sounders FC

Trouble is brewing in the Sounders camp. The team is now winless in 7 and has lost 2 of the last 3 matches against subpar teams.

The slide was tempered somewhat by a gritty win in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals in San Francisco on Tuesday. The match revealed that rookie Cordell Cato is hungry to perform.

He should see playing time this weekend. Sigi will want the form of the goalscorer from midweek to continue.

A disconcerting lack of discipline has crept into the side during the slide. For the 3rd game in a row last week, a Sounder received a red card. This time it was Designated Player Fredy Montero.

The team will play without one of their leaders because he couldn’t keep his cool in the tumultuous ending to the Portland match.

Sounders fans are getting restless Adrian!

Seattle’s fans are getting restless. So is General Manager Adrian Hanaeur. This week he put the team on notice, stating that no one was safe during the summer transfer window, unless they perform.

Matchup to watch: Osvaldo Alonso vs. Shalrie Joseph

This match features a battle between 2 of the best midfielders in the league. Although Shalrie Joseph has clearly lost a step compared to a few years back, he still remains a dominant force in midfield.

Osvaldo Alonso, in contrast, is in his prime. His ball-winning skills are second to none. The Sounders also rely on him to help them maintain possession through the midfield.

If I was a betting man, I would say that the game will be won or lost depending on who can control the middle of the park.

Predictions

This is a difficult game to call. The Sounders will be motivated after receiving just short of an ultimatum form their General Manager. But will that be enough?

Fatigue could play a factor into this match, as could the Revolution’s excellent home record.

Although Seattle is the more talented team I think we’ll see a low scoring draw today.

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – New England Revolution 1

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Portland Timbers

There were high hopes that the side would build on their positive expansion season but instead they find themselves occupying the cellar of the Western Conference.

The team has been on a slide especially recently. The have only 1 win in the last 6 league games. During that same time period they lost to amateur team Cal FC in the U.S. Open Cup (to give perspective, the Sounders beat Cal FC 5-0).